I have a 1998 ford Windstar with a 3.8 V.6 When I turn my lights on and drive it my lights flicker. I have checked all my grounds that I no of and my connections while driving my lights go dim when I let off the gas. but do not flicker any more. when I accelerate they begin to flicker again. I've had the alternator check and all is good. I have no clue.
View 2 RepliesI have a 1997 F250 that I am fixing up. The issue is this... The dash lights now flicker off when I place the transmission in Drive position. I can slightly move the slack in the gear selector and the lights come back on. When the transmission is in Park, the dash lights work correctly. Not sure why there is some type of switch to control the dash lights buried within the steering column?
View 2 RepliesMy grandfather recently died, and left me his 1999 Ford Windstar. He's had it since it was brand new, and as of today it has 249k miles on it...
It hadn't been driven for about a year since he was sick for quite a while. I took it for a 30 mile drive to see what kind of condition it was in. Once I jump started it, the CEL was on. Things I noticed while driving on the city streets:
- Van takes longer than normal to accelerate
- Really loud - I'm wondering if something is up with the muffler
Once I hopped on the highway and hit speeds in excess of 65 MPH, the "O/D OFF" light began flashing. The van wasn't driving any differently than before - at least I didn't notice anything. After another 5 or so minutes, the CEL began flashing. Again, the van wasn't driving any differently than before.
The one thing that was prevalent at this high speed also, was how long it took to accelerate. I really had to floor it to get it to go from 60 to 70. I took it to the auto zone by my house (which was the plan all along) and pulled the following codes from it:
-P0171
-P0443
-P1401
I wasn't able to get a read on the Tranny codes since they didn't have a scanner for that. Where should I start? Here's what I know so far:
-As for the 0171 code, respectable people on this forum say it most likely is due to a Vacuum leak. Any places in particular I should look?
-The 1401 code seems to point to either a bad DPFE Sensor and/or Carbon buildup in the EGR sensor/valve.
-Don't know anything about the 0443 code.
-I didn't get any codes relating to the misfiring that took place on the highway. Not really sure what that means.
I do a big DIY when it comes to doing work on my vehicles. A good tutorial and pics/videos and I'm off to the races. I plan on doing a lot of the work myself, unless it will start to require specialty tools and the like.
I have a 2001 Ford Windstar Sports SE with 155K miles. I did a tune-up eight months ago. With the tune up I had to replace the fuel pump because it was defective. Later, I found that there were misfires occurring since I was getting slow acceleration. I had the spark plugs on the guilty cylinders replaced again and the spark plug wires.
Periodically, I have had to return to the shop to have the vehicle checked. I sometimes get a blinking check engine light while trying to accelerate, which now occurs only while it is raining or I am exiting the car wash. The shop is at a loss as to what it is (spark plugs and wires are fine, no lose connections noticed). I am wondering if I should take it to someone else. Of course, taking it somewhere else will cost me $100 to check on someone's else work.
The shop replaced the ignition coil. Distributor cap is fine. They keep saying that the engine is running fine while in the shop and do not get any codes. I had them drive it while it was raining and they discovered that cylinder 4 is misfiring. They worked on the cylinder. The vehicle runs well, until it rains or I wash it.
My questions to the group, "If everything is OK, how come it is misfiring? What are they missing? What is the connection to the moisture?"
I was removing the camshaft position sensor and synchronizer unit on a 1998 ford windstar gl with 3.8L and the synchronizer bar feel off. The bar went back into the slot and i cannot get to it. How can i retrieve the bar? I tried using a magnet. Can I access the bar from the oil pan if i remove it?
View 1 RepliesThe transmission in our '98 Ford Windstar has failed....sometimes. I went to back it out of the garage and the motor would rev, but no movement of the vehicle. I put it in drive and had the same results. When I put it in 2 it would move. Only in 1 or reverse is it dead. I changed the transmission fluid and filter (Fluid did not looked burned) and it ran fine. After a couple of days, same symptoms. After sitting about a week, I started it up and it acted fine. I drove it about a block. When I attempted to start from a stop sign...no movement. I put it in 2 and drove away.
View 3 RepliesI had a spark plug break on me and it caused a misfire. I took it in and the mechanic replaced all spark plugs and wires. After getting the car back, I experience an occasional engine hiccup here and there. Took it back to the mechanic and told me that he cleaned off the valves of carbon build up. This did not alleviate the current symptoms. It is more noticeable while I am idling. It feels like a jolt. It appears to be worse after a cold start. I do not have a check engine light or do I notice the RPM needle go wild. What is the mechanic missing? What could still be wrong with the engine? Vehicle is a 2001 Ford Windstar Sports SE, 6cyl, 3.8L ....
View 5 RepliesFrom cold, I start the van up, and if I just slightly crack the throttle it will start running rough. I think it goes away under heavier throttle...might just be that the rpms are up I can't feel it anymore, I don't know. It will idle just fine, and after it warms up it also seems fine. Where to look?Also I sometimes hear a very small, high pitched, vacuum leak from under the hood. What are the most common items that go bad, that I should look at first?
View 4 RepliesI have 98 windstar, p1538 code, IMRC. I have physically checked both IMRC's and they are functioning as they should. (if they were bad, they would not move at all right?) Assuming they are good, which step in the troubleshooting process I go to now? The van runs perfect, just that darn light! Do I start going for the O2 sensor now? What to next in the chain of troubleshooting?
View 14 RepliesI have a 98 Accord LX with 2.3L 4 cyl. with 356,000 miles. It looks and runs fantastic. However, lately, both the headlights and heater/blower/control console -- either will not come on even though the engine is running or sometimes flicker while driving down the road. When I type in "98 Accord no headlights" it gives me a couple topics about headlights then jumps all around and even goes to totally different car manufactures. I'm sure out of 305 pages of replies there are lots of readers that have had similar issues. I installed a new alternator about 3-4 months ago.
View 7 RepliesI have a 1987 Chevrolet Celebrity that on the exterior is in pretty rough shape but seems to run great overall. The car is only driven to and from work which is only about 4 miles each direction. So it is drive 8-10 miles a day 5 days a week. It starts great and doesn't seem to have any problems except for the flickering oil light. After about 10 minutes of driving the oil light will start to flicker whenever the car is stopped (i.e., a stop light or drive-through) As soon as I start to drive again it will stop flickering. This problem seems exacerbated on especially not days and it happens earlier than normal. It does have an oil leak so I check the oil often but this happens even when the oil is at a normal level. I don't really want to take the car in because it isn't worth anything and I don't really want to invest money into it. What might cause a flickering oil light?
View 10 RepliesThis AM noticed the D2 driving lights appeared to be "on" the brightness was about 10% of the norm. Went into cab and flipped the switch on and the lights lit up normally. Turned off. Looked again and lights were "on" in a dimmed way with a noticeable "flicker" Disconnected wire from power source. These are 2 months installed. Is this an internal fuse in the wiring harness or the cube shaped relay? other?
View 1 RepliesI have a 1998 Windstar which just stopped shifting from first to second or third. I still have 1st and Reverse gear but no 2nd or 3rd. Feels like vehicle goes to neutral.
View 2 RepliesRecently it rained pretty hard over here and my sunroof leaked pretty badly. Carpets were soaked, upholstery on roof got soggy, and I think some water dripped into the cluster or something maybe. So this is almost all a water damage issue I believe.
Since then, whenever i start my car there will be a series of 5 beeps that repeat 5 times, coming from the cluster. I did some research and it could be because the airbag warning lamp is out (it's light should flash when i turn the car on but it doesn't).
On top of that, the cluster gauges, lights, and radio lights, flicker for the first minute or 2 of driving and appears they flash on/off faster as i apply gas.
Applying gas also seems to interrupt the airbag beeping as the lights flicker. Car seems to run fine as far as I know other than that.
Did some more research on that and all I come across are alternator problems. From what I've read the alternator is hard to reach on 02 Escapes, and it could be very expensive so I'm REALLY hoping that's not the issue.
Series 7 , 82 model, light switch drama. I think they worked fine before I had removed the dash but it has a multi plug that I never interfered with but the truck had been in water and the contacts on it were rusty and I know the unit has been submerged.
Anyway, the unit clicks and sort of buzzes and the headlights and side lights flicker and the rear LED lights barely flicker, need to watch closely. I have cleaned and used contact fluid all connections under the truck as I washed it the other day too.
Brake lights work perfectly, indicators too, just associated lights from this pull switch. The unit gets hot, not burning hot but hot enough not to hold for too long. So, thoughts ?
Need new unit ?
Touched something ?
Water ingress finally making unit fail ?
My 98 Windstar Limited has air suspension in the back. Lately, it would be sitting low in the back before starting it up in the morning. The compressor would pump it up as soon as you fired up the van. And the rest of the day would be fine. The other day, the warning light for the air suspension came on, and the compressor has not worked since. Fuses and power connections all seem okay. OBD codes C1770, C1790, C1818 and C1850 were in the system.
View 3 RepliesI put a re manufactured alternator in my 2000 f150 with the 5.4 liter. Now all the lights flicker, go dim and then come back on bright again. I noticed when the lights dim, the heater fan speed also drops. The light flickering is constant and bad enough, that I can notice it in daylight also with the headlights on. It is really noticeable at night with the truck in drive (or any gear for that matter) sitting at a stop sign or sitting still in my driveway. I changed out the old alternator because it was making a loud chattering noise. I didn't have any trouble with the lights or fan with the old alternator. Why doesn't the battery volt gauge in my instrument cluster fluctuate all the time while it is doing this? It reads in the normal range all the time and doesn't move. The flickering lights are also noticeable at highway speeds, its just not as bad.
View 2 RepliesMy wife has a 1998 Windstar 3.0
Prior to going out yesterday, I noticed that the van seemed kind of 'jumpy' when idling - the timing was a bit sticky and inconsistent and kept seeming to try and right itself. I stuck the accelerator down and it ran perfect when it was getting gas but started 'stagering' again when I took it off.
So my wife went out to walmart - a 30 min drive (we are in the country) - and all was good till she was turning the corner into the parking lot and the engine stalled. It was your standard stall - power steering went out but all other electrics kept going etc etc.
She sat there for a minute - put it in park - then fired it right back up again. After running into walmart, she just drove home as fast as possible to reduce the length of time it had to happen again.....
So while there are, Im sure, a plethora of possible issues - I was wondering about the IAC value? How could that be responsible for the parking lot though - doesn't it only act when the car is stationary?
The sort of thing was happening about 3 months ago, and I ran seafoam through the fuel - which seemed to work for a while.
1998 Windstar Limited. I have no vacuum to my rear Auxiliary Unit. I am considering buying a hand vacuum pump. However, I never used one. Is there a video available.
View 9 RepliesMy windstar has for a while been making moderate/slight jerks when stopping. It tends to happen typically just before coming to a complete stop, although sometimes it happens during low-speed turns when coasting (also sometimes have the issue where it shifts downshifts harshly after a "sweeping turn," as mentioned in one of the windstar TSBs). The RPMS don't appear to visibly drop when it occurs (although the tach in the 'stars seems a little slow sometimes). The only trouble code present is P0133 for the Bank 1 downstream O2 sensor slow response.
Also, it tends to worsen when the car is warm. The jerking is less severe when the engine is cool, and tends to worsen after the car warms up. Also it sometimes almost feels like the jerk occurs in two stages. I do not believe it is the TCC solenoid failing to disengage, due to the fact that it even happens if I get up to 15mph for a hundred feet, and then stop.
Probably unrelated, but the car also tends to run rough for 10-15 seconds after starting the first time if left sitting for a few days.
I'm having electronic issues with my windstar. Tail lights stay on after shutting off. All dome and interior lights stay on when ignition is on.key fob doesn't lock or unlock. Gas gauge reads empty. WHEN IT RAINS, IT ALL WORKS NORMAL. What can I do? Today, now, not starting. Turn key, not even a click. Theft light flashing. Got power and starter is good. is there a reset?
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